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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22495135">Isæyn - The Raven Tree</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/1Temmie_Official1/pseuds/1Temmie_Official1'>1Temmie_Official1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bad Parenting, Don't Examine This Too Closely, Don't Judge, High School, Homophobia, Horror (?), I Don't Even Know, I Tried, Neo-Paganism, Neopronouns for main character, Nonbinary Character, Old Gods, Original Character(s), Pagan Gods, Paganism, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character, Transphobia, Walks In The Woods, Why Did I Write This?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 16:28:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,105</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22495135</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/1Temmie_Official1/pseuds/1Temmie_Official1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Aevin was not supposed to be here. Oftentimes, xir mother had warned xir not to venture into the woods. Perhaps this is why xe should have listened.</p><p>- I tried. Loosely based off of Hozier's 'In The Woods Somewhere'. -</p>
            </div></td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Isæyn - The Raven Tree</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aevin was not supposed to be here. Oftentimes, xir mother had warned xir to not venture into the woods, but it had called to xir, perhaps this is why xe should have listened. Xe had been walking in the woods for the gods how long. Xe walked carefully, avoiding the plants that brushed xir ankle. Aevin glanced to xir left. Out of all of the trees that covered the gently sloping, barren land, one was covered in midnight leaves. Xe was perplexed (and maybe frightened) with the strange empty blackness. It felt darker than the cloudy day xe had experienced when xe had left xir house. A gust of wind, so fast that xe might have imagined it. Xe would have been convinced that it was imaginary if the blackness that covered the tree hadn’t dispersed, what seemed like a thousand ravens flying away. Xir eyes tracked them, causing xir to turn around…</p><p>Face to face with something, if it may even be called that. It was not supposed to be here. Its eyes had no space, this was a vessel. A starved, sullen creature that should not exist. It was not meant for human eyes. The darkness seemed to creep off of it in a way that was not in this space of reality. A cracked deer’s skull rested on its face, and that was the only reason that Aevin had not fled, the grounding of something semi-real. It was nothing of the faery-tale creatures that mother had told xir of, but rather an old god that xe was not meant to see. It was going to take something from xir. It already had. Its cloak, a fabric that was not made by mortal hands, was draped in forest plants. This was not death. This was a fate worse. This creature was born of fear, and its monstrous brood traversed this woods. Aevin was paralyzed.</p><p>And as if xir situation couldn’t get worse, the thing spoke. “<b>You are not of the others</b>.” Its voice was nothing that xir had ever heard. It was the noise you thought you heard. The barest scratch of the record-player, the caws of a bird you might have seen. This had been there. Watching. Judging. Waiting. It was the utmost, dreadful certainty of this fact that terrified xir. This was not some eldritch horror that had lived here forever (well it was, but not in a conventional way), this was something that had been with everyone, everything, that existed. It was only then that Aevin truly met the creature’s eyes. “<b>Most screamed</b>.”</p><p>Aevin took a breath. Xe needed to breathe. Still, it felt as if the air was… fuller. Different, from a time before Aevin’s comprehension. Before existence yet the present. Xe finally found xir voice. “Who… what are you?”</p><p>“<b>You ask me this yet you know not yourself</b>.” It cocked its head, neck bones cracking so suddenly that Aevin flinched. “<b>I wonder what I am to you?</b>”</p><p>Some part of Aevin wanted to attack. To scream, to kick, to fight, to destroy this until its memory was a fever dream of a lost childhood. But xe couldn’t. Xe shouldn’t have seen this. Aevin shouldn’t have been here, but now xe had to deal with the consequences. There was a pull on xir vocal cords, drawing out the honest answer. “A god. Some creature that I have fallen prey to.”</p><p>It drew its neck up straight again. “<b>Interesting. I have been called different. Horror. Terror. Beast. Creature. Yet never god. I have been around many a god, more than most could comprehend, and perhaps I am one myself. Tell me, do you believe in god?</b>” Xe stared, yet did not flee. Xe could not flee. Something about it kept xir from turning away, maybe the animalistic instincts couldn’t turn xir back on the danger. </p><p>“Some.” It was surprising how, despite the overwhelming terror and instinct to run, xe was able to answer the question. The creature, Aevin now noticed that it was at least two and a half meters tall, maybe a bit more than that. It towered above xir. Yet the initial panic had faded. There was still fear, but now it was caution. Wariness. Some carnal part inside of xir was screaming, screaming and screaming, but xe wasn’t going to scream. </p><p>“<b>You humans and your gods and your beasts and your angels. Each one different from the last called a name that will fade in time. Names repeated and repeated until it loses its meaning and needs a second. What do humans call themselves? What do you call yourself?</b>” It leaned ever to slightly closer. Aevin’s instincts said to run, but xe didn’t. Instead, xe drew xirself a bit taller. </p><p>“Aevin.”</p><p>“<b>Aevin.</b>” The words bent strangely over the creature’s tongue if it even had one. Its mouth didn’t move, its voice coming forever behind and to the left (or right? Down? It was impossible to tell) of xir. The air stood still, Aevin’s breath barely stirring it in wicked anticipation. “<b>What does one such as you do to wander here?</b>”</p><p>Aevin was not sure what to feel. Suddenly, the simple joy of curiosity and exploration seemed insignificant. The creature sensed this, and it drew xir voice out again. “I wanted to explore the woods. Mother said never to go and I wanted to see why.”</p><p>The creature didn’t react. Aevin’s heart beat quicker and xe could feel the blood pumping. “<b>Interesting.</b>” It finally said. A rustling of the trees and whispers of crows in the distance caused the creature to turn its head towards the deeper woods. Aevin vaguely noticed that the creature moved faster than before, and much more. As if before it wasn’t trying to frighten xir. The sky was darkening, clouds creeping away to be bathed in the orange light of the setting sun. Aevin knew xe had to leave, but what was the creature to do? “<b>Leave.</b>” Well, that was easy. Aevin turned, now painfully aware that xe had spent too much time in the woods.</p><p>When xe finally reached xir home, no one was there to greet xir. No one at all. This thought didn’t cross xir mind, that was normal. However, running into a creature in the woods was not normal in the slightest. Its face was fading from xir mind yet all the raw emotions still had a panicked grip on xir heart. Logically, xe knew that the best thing was to never return to the woods. Still… curiosity was a strong motivator. And as sure as Pandora would’ve opened the box, Aevin was going to return to the woods.</p>
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